Weaving, warping, wrangling

 Yesterday the appliance store called, fridge was in, when could they deliver, including today. So I chose today.

There ensued a frenzy of emptying the fridge freezer into the chest freezer. This involves dumping art materials, natural dyes, from the bottom of the chest freezer where they've been

for years, I made a lot and used some

And still just got it to close.

How you ask, can a single old lady have this much in the freezer? This old lady wonders the same. A lot of makings of stock, bunches of herbs, cooked items waiting their turn.

Anyway they called to say expect delivery this afternoon.

So here's the state of the old fridge, and the chaos of the kitchen.

I'm wondering if I'll have the energy to defrost the freezer once the new fridge arrives and I can move food into it. 

Meanwhile, I wound the warp for the upcoming rug, once the upcoming heddle gets here

And washed and rinsed and patted and left to dry the finished skirt panels and pocket 

Did I mention I finished the positively last skirt of the summer?

And here's today's flowers

Happy day everyone, hoping all your deliveries work out.

Misfits, bonus skirt and nature sightings

Misfits arrived yesterday, with an unexpected bonus. They had accidentally packed hake instead of the cod I'd ordered, so they refunded me. They can't charge for an item I didn't order, so I get bonus fish, which I expect I can use happily.

 Yesterday's walk yielded all kinds of bonuses, including the discovery of a mass of cherry tomato vines tossed into the trees. Does it count as foraging when you come home with a handful of cherry tomatoes from abandoned vines? 

And this little late-season baby blue jay shouting up a storm, not able to get loft to fly away when he saw me

I left quietly, because the parents were probably nearby wanting me to leave so they could feed the baby. He still had the yellow around the beak of a very young bird.

And on to a newly growing fungus, I'm guessing chicken of the woods. Those fallen trees are so rich.

Here's a garden specimen, huge and much redder in real life than seen here

And while I'm waiting for the heddle, I found myself making a pleated skirt, here the first fitting. 

And a closer view of the soft pleats, which I did by guesswork, and the waist fits,  surprisingly. I just made the tie which will thread through the waistband, then I need to hem it and I'll have definitely my last skirt of the summer. Well, after I make a side seam pocket, that is.

Happy bonus-filled day, everyone!

Heddles ahoy, and other vital things

 Yesterday while deciding about a rigid heddle purchase, I organized this sheet into the makings of a skirt and top, see left and right, ready to stitch. 

Then I took the plunge and ordered one of these, a 24" rigid heddle, 10 dent, useful for many ideas I  have percolating

Gary, whose travel plans changed yet again, only away for a couple of days now, brought over his crown of thorns. I now have four plants visiting. Not hard to add them in to the flower corner for care. 

This plant is a descendant of one I gave him and showed him how to propagate by planting its prunings back into the pot.

And, since the weather is beautiful for out of doors sitting under a tree, here's my anti bite array. The fan helps blow off insects trying to come in for a bite, and the anti itch stick helps with the situation if they get through anyway.

In other vital news, here's what I finally noticed this morning, while my muffin was toasting. Not only is my toaster oven bilingual, which I had noticed, from setting it at grillage to toast, but it's bimeasural, too, f and c, clever thing! Only took me a year to notice.

And here's your bouquet

Happy day, everyone, in any language!

Misfits box, skirts, banks and ignoring

Yesterday's misfits arrived, bringing shrimp for various good meal ideas, and other vital foods such as beautiful eggs,  apricots and blueberries.

We're in a period of downpours alternating with hot sunshine, bringing on plants and weeds with great fervor. Also mosquitoes, after a late start, are well under way.  I haven't even switched on the outside water faucet yet.  The high humidity has rendered my hair Very Bushy, but my dry skin loves it.

And there have been interesting adventures with banks, this time Wells Fargo, the one my cleaning family use, mainly for the handy ATM. 

Last month the bank said it couldn't process the check I'd written them, no explanation, just refused it. So I sent them a replacement, deciding to watch my own bank account in case of shenanigans. I didn't cancel the first check, not wanting to incur a steep fee. 

Then the cleaning family emailed to say the bank wrote them to say it was going to process the first one after all. No explanation. I checked my own account, and, as I thought, the first check was processed after the second one, within a day. 

Does this mean their robot learned my handwriting? That they found the bundle of deposited checks they'd dropped on  the floor?  That they decided I wasn't an international bank robber?  That I wasn't one of the many African American residents of the state with my last name? 

Don't dismiss that last one. I've had a number of abusive exchanges with officials who thought they were dealing with a minority. A tiny flash of insight into the daily experience of a real minority person.

At any rate, good thing I had the funds to cover both checks. That could have been a squeaker for somebody who didn't keep a comfortable balance.

Speaking of which, I have the proud accomplishment of being one of the few individuals who forced Bank of America to rescind a fee they'd charged for falling below the minimum balance. 

I took them on and pointed out that the date stamp on their fee was later than the deposit of my social security payment, which brought the balance over the minimum. 

I explained I'd be glad to let the state banking commission know about this practice, nothing like threats to get action. Whereupon they agreed, for this one time, they emphasized (face-saving measure) they'd drop the charge. They really can't argue with a government payment, but they didn't get into that. 

So I guess it's a draw, banking vs Boud.

And I've been thinking about families lately, and finally come to realize that it was  after I quietly stopped reaching out to siblings who either ignored or dismissed my attempts, that I got wind, via other friends,  of massive fights and feuds among them.  

It dawned on me that as long as I was available to ignore, they were united in ignoring. Then when I wasn't any more, they turned their energies onto each other. Oh. It does make sense. 

Remember the old joke that parents are there for kids to ignore? It works in other contexts.

Families are a weird invention!  I like more the one I've assembled from friends. It's a luxury to be free to think aloud in here! I don't mind disagreement, but I no longer have to cope with having my lived experience denied. It's nice (!). And these are the same people who spoke warmly about me to other relatives -- word gets back. Mystery.

Meanwhile the last of the summer skirt collection is finished and being worn

Happy day, everyone, everything's funny eventually!

History bounding and tattie liftin'

After watching several Ash youtube videos about historical sewing and techniques, including ties at the waist rather than the elastic I use, I thought I'd try a bit of history bounding. 

That's, more or less, using historical techniques on a modern garment. So I'll  use ties on this green upcycled skirt, mainly because it came with a ready made matching tie. Also a casing, which I may discard, a bit clumsy.

I'll just stitch a casing and thread the tie through, leaving an opening at the side seam.  

This skirt is almost done, not really making, more like altering. 

And it's late July, so harvesting the potatoes is up this morning. Tattie liftin'. 

I could have left them longer to grow bigger, but we're having so much rain that they're likely to rot, so I lifted them this morning, tiny baby new potatoes, ready for steaming and buttering. 

Notice the two red potatoes, two more than I usually get. They're less eager than white to grow for me 

Here's a special request from Gary. He planted this vegetable and has completely forgotten what it is. I promised to ask you. So here we are.

And my daily updated flower arrangement, one daisy, one brown eyed Susan, one zinnia.

Happy day everyone, may your bounding, whatever form it takes,  be joyful!

Triangles, couples and jam

 This morning's patio prowl before it gets too hot shows new buds happy with the heat and intermittent downpours

The Thai basil is flowering happily and new seedlings are coming in

No buds on the morning glory but it's swamped the shepherd's crook

tiny buds starting on the alyssum

And the first zinnia flower wheeee! These seed packets are more than paying their rent

 And yesterday I got a bag of prepped, pitted plums from the freezer to make an exclusive batch of jam

Which came out a lot better than the accidental apricot crumble stuff, so evidently I can still make jam

About the current skirt. Here's the inside showing the rectangle of fabric pinned in place

Then I laid dowels along the stitching line to show how I'm getting triangles off the pieces of batik

And here are the triangles ready to applique. I may take a strip off the biggest, for a bit of trim for the pocket edge. Today's about direct applique.

You'll notice I did this the easy way. A stitcher who's part engineer or who works for a dress pattern company would probably have painstakingly measured two triangles to fit the spaces, using protractors, slide rules and a piece of string tied to a pencil to determine the exact angles and slopes. So much easier to do it  this way, 

The inside finishing involves turning under and stitching the raw edges of the triangles. 

A couple of bloggers have posted early stories of their relationships very engrossing reading, and I have one, not so old, that became a family joke.

For many years  Handsome Partner and I were a married couple who couldn't in the end continue, divorced fairly amicably, continued as friends, more years, gradually realizing we were bonded for life but couldn't live together. 

Then came 9.11 and we realized it was ridiculous to be apart, who knew what could happen, so we coupled up again, with the proviso that we keep our own homes, share both.

We both owned the townhouse, bought together earlier, and I'd bought the condo personally.

Then his health deteriorated dramatically and we were forced into my moving into the townhouse where he had lived throughout the separation. Neither of us wanted this  but he simply couldn't manage alone with just shopping help from loyal and tactful handsome son.  He navigated his parents' unconventional relationship heroically, not taking sides, just being the grownup, and deserves tons of credit.

Anyway, neighbors noticed I seem to have moved in, and one, clearly out of the loop, fell in with me one day while I was walking KC the Dalmatian. How nice of you to take on the dog as well as the other tasks, she said. A was so smart to get this arrangement. I wish I could persuade my dad to do it, too.

I was sort of listening and wondering what we were talking about. Set up a relationship for her elderly frail father, what? Then she went on, would you mind telling me what agency sent you? I'd refer dad, too. Live-in is so good.

I explained that we were a couple, had been for many years, Handsome Son, whom she knew, was our son.  Her face was a picture. She recovered and we've had a lot of nice chats in the years since.  To be fair, she'd seized the wrong end of the stick because she was wanting to set up something for her dad, can't fault that. She'd assumed I was a live in paid  companion.

Evidently It had not crossed her ageist little mind that old frail men can have a relationship. Nor that older women can, too. Without consulting the neighbors! 

Hp was creased laughing when I told him and if we argued I'd threaten to get a new assignment from my agency if he didn't shape up. And he'd better upgrade my pay too, while we were at it!

Happy day, everyone, no need to get the neighbors to consent to your life! That's not what consensual means, hehehe.